ATLANTA — Cardinals manager Mike Shildt said he expects Adam Wainwright to be available out of the bullpen in Game 5 of the National League Division Series against the Atlanta Braves on Wednesday.
“I would expect Waino (Adam Wainwright) to be available,” Shildt said. “Dakota (Hudson) may be a little different scenario. Listen, we’ve got guys we have a lot of confidence in. You never say never. Extenuating circumstances.”
If he gets in the game, Wainwright would be seeing the mound on two days rest. If the ball gets to Hudson, it would come with just one day off after starting Game 4.
Jack Flaherty and Mike Foltynewicz will rematch for Game 5, but both could have pitched on Monday. In fact, Flaherty really wanted in during the eventual 10 inning victory by the Cardinals.
“He said ‘I got an inning and I got a 0,'” Shildt recalled. “Me and Mad Dog (Mike Maddux) said, well, we appreciate that but we need to take care of you and we need to take the opportunity for Game 5.”
On the other side of the diamond, lefty Max Fried has been a weapon out of the bullpen for Atlanta Braves manager Brian Snitker, pitching in the first three games of the series and then pinch running in Game 4. With two days off from the mound, they’ll deploy him accordingly in Game 5.
“He’ll definitely be available for that now having two days off,” Snitker said. “And multi-innings in the National League gets you the next at-bat depending on where that falls.”
With only three runs separating the two teams in the series thus far, Snitker said he doesn’t expect things to change in a do-or-die Game 5.
“Yeah, it’s kind of like where we’re going,” Snitker said. “This has been an unbelievable series. My God, both teams just banging at each other and the close games and the late-inning heroics. It’s been something.
“It’s been exhausting…I guess it’s only fitting that we’re going to be going out there in a winner-take-all type atmosphere tomorrow (Wednesday).”